An exciting festive season that will extend to Christmas right into the new year has set upon us. The shopping frenzy reaches its crescendo during this period.

Shopping for corporate gifts invariably reaches its peak as marketers try everything possible to woo customers with some unbelievable offers and great discounts. Many of the special offers are available online for tech-savvy buyers.

While online shopping is easy, simple and fast; one must take care of certain things. We have listed some of them for you below:

First and foremost, make sure that you buy gifts only from websites you know are reputed. Ensure you use a credit card to purchase a gift. In case, you do not receive the ordered purchase from the website you ordered, you can apply for a charge back with your credit card company.

Next, do not forget to take a printout of the receipt for the purchase made. Retain it with you till the transaction is complete. Make sure you inspect the item when you receive it.

If the item is not up to the mark, get back to the online merchants website or contact them by telephone and let them know your concern or even ask for a refund or a replacement.

As the rupee is appreciating against dollar, many people are shopping high value products online from international sites. Electronic and consumer items such as iPod’s, mobile phones, digicams, laptops, desktops, pen drives come cheap in dollar that is still falling.

Amongst other sought after items bought for corporate gifting purposes are idols of gods and goddesses, sweets, clothes, jewelry, diamonds and flowers. There are a host of corporate items available online to choose from for gifting purposes.

Make it a point to select a utility item instead of just a luxury gift with high face value but little functionality quotient.

Tags: gifting etiquette, Corporate gifting India, low cost gifts, business gifting, Business Gifting
Corporate gifting, Gifting events, corporate gifts companies, Business etiquette, promotional products, Worst gifts

Bookmark to:

For an added personalized touch to make your gift truly innovative and indeed unique, we suggest you one of its kind avenue! Gifted Lifestyles offers you a selection of mouth watering chocolates, jewelry or flowers to enhance the aura of your present.

Also on offer are wonderful wrapping services to enhance the beauty of your gift. Personal consultation is another value-add to the gifting service. Tarana Khubchandani, Kanchan Khubchandani, Armaiti Bhagwagar and Rashna Talati launched Gifted Lifestyles with the very purpose.

They all have combined their passion and professional skills in conceiving Gifted Lifestyles in November 2007. It’s a full-fledged boutique that has on offer a wide array of charming gifts that can be perfect for every occasion – social or personal.

Their collection of gifting items has been an outcome of proactive search and in-depth research done over two years after traveling to a host of fairs and events apart from visits to internationally acclaimed markets of Paris, Hong Kong, Florence, Barcelona, Dubai Milan, etc that has gave rise to this fabulous range of gifts.

Gifted Lifestyles is indeed a treasure trove of exciting gifts like mahogany desk boxes, silk mannequins, filigree lamps, golden fortune cookies and hand embroidered lap trays. What you get on the shelves of this cozy, captivating store is a range of exclusive home décor products and amazing accessories, as well as personal luxury items plus a distinctive display for men.

Another admirable aspect is the constant revamp of the extensive merchandise on offer to suit the different moods and seasons like Diwali and Christmas. The creative team gives inputs to come up with gift hampers, to match any occasion.

If you are searching for a unique gift that would suit your budget and also reflect the recipient’s personality and tastes, Gifted Lifestyles is your best option.

Bookmark to:

Corporate houses do everything possible to garner goodwill during the festive season. These are the times when companies gift their employees and clients. For example, to let their employees enjoy the Navratri festival, they even gift free passes for occasions like ‘Dandia Raas’.

Navratri, the season of nine nights, is celebrated with much glitter and glamour. It entails traditional dance types like garbas, dandia with the devotional songs in respect of Mother Amba and Mother Kaali. The people come together to have the blessings of the eternal mother, celebrate her presence within them and wish each other. Even celebrities join in the celebration of this traditional ritual of dance.

The profile of employees has become younger so it’s not surprising that several firms opt to celebrate such joyous occasions in the campus itself. Many companies join in the celebrations by gifting them traditional Navratri robes and free passes to the nine festive nights.

Many corporate houses sponsor local Navratri groups as part of innovative marketing methods to join the camaraderie during Navratri. Many of them come up with novel ideas like ‘designer dandias’.

True essence of corporate gifting is embedded in the fact that companies want to build a good relationship with their clients/customers. If the act of gifting motivates employees, corporate gifting at another level is part of a larger marketing & branding activity. It helps reconnect and re-establish a relationship with the key clients.

Festivals are a form of gettogether for most people across India. Festivals like Holi, Diwali, Christmas, Ganesh Festival and Navratri are rituals that are celebrated with great fervor, fun and frolic. This is the time of the year when corporate gifting takes place in a broader social context imparting a larger meaning to it. It acquires a whole new connotation during the festive season.

Gifting clients on such occasions is a must to spread brand identity and generate goodwill. Corporate gifting during  festivals is an opportunity to grow a company’s business that must be fully capitalized.

Tags: promotional gifts, gifting to clients, business gifting, business gift baskets, Gifting events, Corporate gifting, corporate gifting for employees, gifting india, promotional products,

Bookmark to:

As the festive season begins with Ganesh Chaturthi in the months of August-September each year, it his a crescendo in the next couple of months with popular festive occasions like Navratri, Diwali and Christmas.

The mood of celebration and joy lasts well up to December and extends right into the new year. This is the time for corporate entities to uplift the spirit of their employees and celebrate the festive season by involving them in all the glitter and glamour.

The festive season essentially marks as a perfect to increasing the relationship and the bonding with your employees. Most corporations take this opportunity to spread goodwill. Many of them come up with different incentives to strengthen the bond with their employees.

The ideas include a festive bonus for Diwali and New Year or even a performance linked bonus. The latter may be in cash or kind i.e. a corporate gift, or even both. Business houses looking to retain their efficient employees and reduce their attrition rates, come up with attractive ideas to encourage them.

Such schemes that boost the team spirit help increase their productivity market and ultimately the company’s core value as a brand. Many corporate entities use the festive season to achieve the same. The top managements realize the importance of this and even opt to celebrate the festivals in-house with their employees.

The best way to seek their participation in such festivities is to present them with apt corporate gifts. No surprise, many of them make plans to order gifts on a large scale for their employees well before the festive season.

This exactly is the reason why Giftex show is held every year in the months of August-September. For those keen on sourcing the best corporate gifting options, Giftex 2009 provided the perfect opportunity.

If you have missed out on the event, there is no need to worry. The site will act as a perfect touch point to access the best from the corporate gifting industry. 

Tags: business gifting, Gifting events, low cost gifts, business gift baskets, corporate gifts companies, gifting etiquette, gifting to clients, Best business gifts, Cheap corporate gifts, promotional products

Bookmark to:

It’s vacation time; it’s fun time, so Giftex blog is here to make you smile. We present jokes and interesting anecdotes about gifting.

A gift with a DIAMOND in it

John: It was my wife’s birthday, yesterday.

Peter: what was your special gift to her?

John: I just asked her what was it that she wanted?

Peter: And what did she say?

John: anything, she said, as long as there is a DIAMOND in it!

Peter: So, what did you give her?

John: Simple, playing cards!

“Didn’t use the gift, so won’t gift another”

One year, a harried man decided to get his mother-in-law a prime cemetery plot as a Christmas gift, thinking it would send across the message to her. The mother-in-law did not seem to have got the hint.

The frustrated son-in-law did not buy her any gift next year. When the mother-in-law asked him why he din not get her any gift this Christmas, he replied with a frown on his face, “Well, you still have not used the gift that I bought you last year!”

What makes the perfect gift?”

Thanks for that pretty electric guitar that you gave me on my birthday,” little Manjit said to his auntie the first time he saw her after the holidays. “It is the best present that I ahd ever got.”"That’s great, my boy, “said his auntie.  “But do you know how to play it?”

“Oh, I do not play it,” the little boy said. “But my mom gives me a rupee every day not to play it during the day and my dad gives me another rupee not to play it at night. It’s because of you, auntie!”

Bookmark to:

To highlight the importance of gifting not just in the corporate world, but also in our personal lives, we present some pertinent quotes that bring out the beauty of the act of gifting:

‘We should give as we would receive - cheerfully, quickly, & without hesitation - for there is no grace in a benefit, which sticks to the fingers.’ – Seneca

‘You give but little when you give of your possessions; it is when you give of yourself you truly give.’ - Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

‘What is bought is cheaper than a gift!’ - Portuguese Proverb

‘The manner of giving is worth more than the gift.’ -  Pierre Corneille, Le Menteur
‘A hug is a great gift; one size fits all, and it is easy to exchange - Anonymous

‘The only gift is a portion of thyself.’ - Ralph Waldo Emerson

‘A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver.’ - Thomas á Kempis

‘If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend that would be giving as the angels give.’ - George MacDonald

’If you give what can be taken, you are not really giving. Take what you are given, and not what you want to be given; give what cannot be taken - Idries Shah

‘Tis blessed to bestow, and yet,
Could we bestow the gifts we get,
And keep the ones we give away,
How happy were our Christmas day!’
- Carolyn Wells

Bookmark to:

Being eco-friendly and socially conscious is the new trends when it comes to celebrating and gifting.Many websites are thriving on this concept. One of them is GiveIndia that involves a simple procedure for being part of this new movement. Once you are registered with the site, you just need to state the cause you wish to support and the contribution you wish to make. The web link is then promoted. For example a newly married, a member of the site, printed an appeal on their wedding card for donating money instead of showering them with personal lavish gifts.

Many members have been raising funds in this manner through the website. You can pass the link to your colleagues, relatives, friends, and social forums. One of them informs to have collected Rs 60,000 for a social cause. Many see this as a chance to remember their near and dear ones who are no more in this world.

Corporate gifting pattern is changing as well. Corporate entities instead of merely ordering a consignment of cards from NGOs are making a contribution to help NGOs. The Concern India Foundation has a donor match program for both corporate world and individuals who approach them with a pre-set budget and a wish list of the cause they wish to support, and the foundation helps match these requests with the NGO concerned.

Even festive celebrations are turning eco-friendly. Coexist provides an environmentally friendly solutions through a range of eco-sensitive handmade decorations in cloth and hand-made paper.

Bollywood starlet Genelia D’Souza is one celebrity who believes ‘Green Christmas’ is a fantastic idea. She stated: “I think it would be a great idea to try out the eco-friendly material for decorating the tree.” Choreographer Marc Robinson and his wife Waluscha get their decorations and even the tree from New York. and do not buy new stuff every year.

Tags: Corporate gifting, Popular corporate gifts, gifting to clients, Best business gifts, Worst gifts, business gifting, gifting india, Best corporate gifts, gifting etiquette, Business Gifting
Corporate gifting

Bookmark to:

The tradition of gifting on the eve of Christmas seems to have started with the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus. As mentioned in the Bible’s book of Matthew, “On coming to the house they saw the child with his mother Mary and they bowed down and worshipped him. They then opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, incense and of myrrh…” There are some curious gift categories that we came across, including teachers’ worst Christmas gifts, popular gifts, etc. 

Usually teachers love to get pressies from their pupils on Christmas eve, but often what they get is a bit weird, a BBC NEWS report points out. It mentions a golden horse statue, a raw chicken and a glass fish among the stranger gifts they have been given.

For those planning to buy a present for their teacher, and wondering what they should, BBC Newsround spoke to a cross-section of teachers in the UK to find out the worst things they  can or have received at Christmas.

It noted: “Among the worst things teachers said to get was perfume, which smells really bad! Another was chocolate, particularly if it is out-of-date, or one that is half-eaten! And the worst thing that pupils can possibly gift their teachers on Christmas eve are some really tacky ornaments. But do not worry if you are not planning to give your teacher a pressie, or perhaps you cannot afford to get much.”

You do not spend loads, but simply try to ensure that your gift is as personal and unusual as possible. According to the government, the report mentions in a lighter and literal vein, teachers are not allowed to give pupils higher ranks only because they have given them nice gifts!
 
Try the Christmas quiz 

Incidentally, BBC NEWS published another report on a host of hostile Christmas gifts. All were found to be counterfeit as well as dangerous.

Curiously, Ipod has topped the list of contemporary Christmas gifts. A news report mentions: “Looks like assorted gift givers and secret Santas worldwide have found an easy gift option (the Ipod). It has sold over 150 million units since first launched in 2001.”

Classic diamond earrings came second as the preferred gift item, closely followed by the Nintendo Wii. The popular games console works by detecting the players’ movement is very much in demand. A Tiffany necklace stood fourth. Gadgets are proving to be popular with a laptop, Nintendo Gameboy and Playstation 3 all voted into the top 50.

Bookmark to:

Who doesn’t like cookies? They are the perfect choice for someone who wishes to tantalize one’s taste buds and do away with those hunger pangs. One can get several choices for presenting cookies in a fun gift packing.

Cookies are among the most popular gifting items - synonymous with the Christmas celebrations as much as a cute Christmas tree or gorgeous golden bells. When wrapped in a wonderful box, they make a meaningful gift for your boss, friend or your colleague, to go with the spirit of this unique festival.

There are many quality brands that have a wide variety on offer, ranging from the more traditional crispy, crunchy cookies to the indulgent mouth watering cool chocolate dipped cookies, luscious creamy cookies, savory salty Cookies and even customized cookies.

For this season, take your pick from delightful stockings or jute bags, brightly wrapped gift boxes adorned with Santa, mistletoe, stockings and everything else that enhances the Christmas mood, filled with the choicest cookies in tantalizing flavours that include Chocolate, Coffee, Brandy, Honey, Coconut, Ginger and a lot more.

Most of these cookie packs are well within budget. At any of the leading malls in your city, the mega cookie gifts are available to make your near and dear ones happy. You can get a beautifully crafted cane hamper comprising mouth watering, melting chocolates, a selection of premium dry fruits, a pair of champagne glasses and other goodies. There are elegant photo frames and gifts galore!

There is something on offer for everyone on the Christmas eve including Chocolates and plum cakes specially created for the season. In addition, many malls run special Christmas programs and promotional offers. Children get an opportunity to meet and sing along with a lifelike Santa Claus at his jovial best. It is time to catch up with the Santa spirit!

Tags: business gift baskets, promotional gifts, Popular corporate gifts, gifting etiquette, business gifting, Corporate gifting, low cost gifts, Worst gifts, gifting to clients, gifting india

Bookmark to:

Santa Claus is an icon of peace, joy and happiness, who enlivens our minds and hearts. He lives in the hearts of those who believe in virtues of giving and spreading happiness. Hence, gifting is something that is closely associated with the festival of Christmas.

Traditionally, Saint Nicholas was depicted as an imposing, tall, dignified ecclesiastical figure riding a white horse, dressed in red robes trimmed with white fur, worn by bishops, placing gifts of nuts, fruit, candy and small figurines on the hearth.

The popular and distinctive image of Santa was further developed from literary descriptions by novelist Washington Irving and poet Clement Clarke Moore and the fanciful drawings of poet and illustrator, Thomas Nast. In his drawings, Nast has depicted Santa as a delightful and jolly elf with a potbelly, and a bagfull of gifts slung on his shoulder.

In his poem, ‘A Visit by Saint Nicholas’, Nast has gives a detailed description of a happy, old, dwarfish man, riding on a sleigh drawn by eight reindeer, whose names are specified as Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen, respectively.

The present adorable personality of the North American Santa Claus, which took shape in the 19th Century, was that of a chubby, bespectacled elf, dressed in bright red. Father Christmas, Befana or even Kringler, Baboushka, Santa has spread cheer, joy and warmth in every form and under every garb. And that makes him a key figure in religious history, who carries a touch of benevolence.

But Reindeer are not found around the North Pole, so how do they figure in German, Dutch and North American legends? Actually, this was the brainchild of Clement Moore. One evening, while riding back home from New York City, he was inspired by the tinkling of bells on old Dobbin, his donkey and there flashed an idea for a Christmas tide verse for his children! Another explanation could be that German legends and mythology are closely related to those of Scandinavia, a Polar region.

Christmas is the time to rejoice with Santa, the Patron of Giving, and Giving sure is a noble gesture.

Bookmark to: